Easy automobile access to parks, beaches, bike trails, hiking trails, and other kinds of outdoor recreational areas have given people more opportunities than ever to enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, the more people visit these areas, more crowded and stressed they become. Among other problems this overcrowding can cause is a shortage of privacy spaces available for changing into and out of clothes, uniforms, swimsuits, and/or other gear at the recreational area.
For example, outdoor enthusiasts such as surfers, swimmers, bikers, hikers, and sports participants now frequently face inconvenient and/or ineffectual choices for changing in private. These include driving to a less populated and/or less public place to change. Unfortunately, driving in a wet bathing suit or exceedingly dirty clothes can be as or more inconvenient than exposing oneself in public.
Some try looking for less populated parts of the recreation area and/or indigenous cover such as trees, bushes, and buildings in hopes of changing with some amount of privacy. Unfortunately, as more people flock to these areas, especially on nice days and/or at the height of the tourist season, finding such a secluded location can be exceeding difficult if not impossible. Still others try to use on-site public restrooms to change clothes. Unfortunately, crowded recreation areas typically have limited restroom facilities that have to accommodate people relieving themselves as well as changers. This often results in long waits to use the facilities and many frustrated patrons. In many areas, such as trailheads for hikers and bikers, there are no restroom facilities at all.
Another option for those desiring to change in private is to bring the privacy space with them to the recreation area. This includes changing in the automobile itself, pitching a tent in which to change, or wrapping oneself in a large towel while trying to change clothes underneath. Unfortunately, each of these options includes a host of difficulties and inconveniences. Many automobiles, such as compact and subcompact cars, have small interiors that require difficult contortions during the changing process. In addition, the windows on the front, back and sides of the vehicle need to be screened to insure complete privacy. A tent that is large enough for changing can be exceedingly cumbersome to pack and transport in a vehicle. Moreover, pitching and tearing down the tent can be very time consuming relative to the time needed to change clothes. Wrapping oneself in a towel and attempting to change underneath can be a challenge for even the most dexterous clothes changer. Oftentimes the towel comes undone during all the shifting and twisting resulting in a potentially catastrophic wardrobe malfunction.
There have also been attempts to use a car as a support for an attached, adjacent privacy structure. Unfortunately, these structures typically include a complex scaffolding that can be difficult assemble and disassemble, as well as being difficult to attach to the car. Thus, like pitching a tent, the creation of the privacy space can be much more time consuming than the time needed to change clothes. Thus, there remains a need for portable privacy spaces that are easily formed and stored to allow people to quickly and conveniently change clothes in an outdoor area.